On the occasion of the 81st anniversary of the liberation of the Korean Peninsula from Japanese rule, Republic of Korea (ROK) President Lee Jae-myung advocated peaceful coexistence with North Korea.
“We are well aware of the consequences of the war on the other side of the world for the lives of our citizens. How much greater will the cost of tension and conflict on our soil be?“, Lee Jae-myung said, according to his office.
He recalled that back in 2025 he had expressed his readiness to respect the established system in North Korea and not seek to unify the Korean Peninsula through absorption. Lee Jae-myung then noted that Seoul had no hostile plans toward Pyongyang. Now the President of the Republic of Korea has elaborated on his policy. “First, we must strive for peaceful coexistence based on the principles of inclusiveness and mutual respect. We must work to become less aggressive, starting with our own ideas, rules and institutions,” the President of the Republic of Korea said. “I hope that the South and the North can sit down at the same table to achieve peaceful coexistence and shared prosperity,” Lee Jae-myung continued. He said that the dialogue “will not be a concession, but the beginning of peaceful coexistence.”
Denuclearization
“Second, the system of peaceful coexistence must be stable and devoid of causes for confrontation,” the South Korean President said. Lee Jae-myung noted that this requires mechanisms to prevent tension and conflict. The military agreement to reduce tensions, signed on September 19, 2018, has not been implemented by either side, at least partially.
He called for the establishment of a “peace system on the Korean Peninsula to replace the armistice that ended the Korean War (1950-1953). “A positive response from the North will allow us to begin working to ensure stability on the Korean Peninsula“, said Lee Jae-myung. The head of state said that the situation in this region affects all of Northeast Asia and that peace there will pave the way for “renunciation of nuclear weapons on the entire planet“.
The DPRK has repeatedly stated that the nuclear status of the republic is non-negotiable. Liberation from Japanese rule in 1945 is commemorated in both countries on the Korean Peninsula.